Polycom Audio and Video - Manual (Page 26)

Administrator’s Guide for the V500 System
3 - 6 www.polycom.com/videodocumentation
If, therefore, you’re limiting your calls to other systems within your intranet, you
don’t need to perform any additional network configuration to use your V500.
Simply go on to the next section,
Configuring IP Network Support on page 3-13 .
Calling Through a Cable or DSL Modem
You can access the network and make video calls by directly connecting your V500
to a cable modem or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem, without using a
network router.
If you have a DSL connection and you are in a home environment or your DSL
modem does not maintain a connection state automatically, Polycom recommends
that you use a network router.
Directly connecting your V500 to the network with a cable or DSL modem does not
provide you with a security barrier between your home or business network and
the Internet; however, it is an easy way to set up your V500 network connection.
Systems set up outside a firewall are potentially vulnerable to unauthorized access. Visit the
Polycom Security Center at
www.polycom.com for timely security information. You can also
register to receive periodic email updates and advisories.
If your V500 system is directly connected to a cable or DSL modem, you don’t need
to perform any additional network configuration to use your V500. Simply go on
to the next section,
Configuring IP Network Support on page 3-13 .
Calling Through a Network Router
Network routers let you connect more than one computer, video conferencing
system, or other device to your cable or DSL modem so that they all can share the
same high-speed network connection. This is accomplished by using Network
Address Translation (NAT) services. Routers also often offer firewall protection.
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In a typical IP network, all the devices within the network have their own
unique IP address, which is available for everyone in or outside the network
to access. With a NAT, each device within the network retains its own IP
address, but the NAT presents a single IP address to the outside world. This
provides an extra level of security because devices inside the network are
masked behind that single, external IP address.